| Beating The Addiction
Fewer teenagers are using drugs like marijuana and methanphetamines, but more teens are abusing prescription pain killers. A national teen drug use report released by President Bush found that highly addictive narcotic pain killers are as popular as ever among 50,000 teens surveyed. And that is a trend that is seen in South Dakota as well. They're known for knocking out severe pain and helping patients with chronic illnesses, but pain killers aren't being used by just the sick. "I tried it at a party actually first time, and a lot of people were doing it. I tried it and I fell in love with it first time I did it," a teen patient said. This teen can't be identified because she's going through treatment at Keystone's treatment Center. Her addiction to Oxycontin landed her here. "I didn't like the taste at first but I got used to it and I'd fene for that taste..that drip in the back of your throat," the patient said.
Brit’s an indisputable drug addict
It seems almost everyone has an opinion about Britney Spears' fall from pop grace. “Loveline" host Dr. Drew Pinsky recently joined the chorus in an interview with Us Weekly. The addiction-medicine specialist shared his informed opinion on what's wrong in Brit's life and whether or not there's still hope for the singer. “(Britney) is a drug addict," Dr. Drew insisted. “It is an indisputable point." To back up his claim, he told Us, “We know that she is a drug addict because she's been admitted to a treatment center. You can't be admitted unless you've met criteria for addiction." When asked if Brit's problems could be traced to attaining pop success at such an early age, Dr. Drew wouldn't entertain the blame game. “Her mental health has almost nothing to do with her career." But he does believe her mega-stardom makes it harder to help her.
Dec 28th
Well, it's almost time for me to head off to Australia. Tomorrow, actually, but this might be my last chance to get in a blog before then. I will try to blog while there but won't promise. Christmas is over and it was quite a pleasant one. My son visited from Las Vegas and he said he had a good time. It looks like he is set on going back to college full time to qualify as an accountant. He did one class last semester and got an A, so it looks like he should do OK in that field. He has quite a bit of money coming to him for education from the time he spent in the United States Air Force; at least enough for about two years of college. We spent Christmas Eve morning at my wife's parents then headed to Pensacola Beach, Florida to where my wife's sister and family live. Lots of gifts were handed around and we all ate and drank too much.
Ahmadinejad v. Bollinger: Words Were Spoken, But What Was Said?
Legislation of the Islamic Penal Code according to which women's right to live is not protected as the right of a full human being and in which young girls of nine years of age (but not boys) are considered of age of criminal responsibility, and the decision that testimony of women is not the equivalent of the testimony of men; • Emphasis on the absolute right of custody for the father or the paternal grandfather in the matter of matrimony of female children to the extent that the father or the grandfather can marry a child of nine years of age to any man he intends. You might have a problem imagining how in the world they could be justified in harboring animosity towards this man, but gee, I think I can see how some well-researched facts about women and how they're treated in Iran could peeve them off just a bit- especially if they have a nine year old daughter! Homosexuals might harbor some animosity when they hear him say “"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country.
Genes behind drug addiction tracked
Chinese scientists have found a way to track genes and biological pathways linked to drug addiction, unraveling potential ways to treat drug abuse and disorders.
"We have found 396 addiction-related genes and identified five pathways that are common to addiction to four different substances: cocaine, opium, nicotine and alcohol," the director of the center for bioinformatics of the life science college under Peking University, Wei Liping, told China Daily yesterday.
"The research provides a more complete picture of drug addiction, as genetic factors contribute to about 60 percent of the vulnerability to drug addiction," she said.
Wei said identifying common pathways meant that treatment targeting these pathways may be more effective for a wide range of addictive disorders.
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